Gardening Articles

Is Cold Water Injurious To Plants?

Those who study works on horticulture by different writers, will
discover many opposing views in respect to the modes of caring for, and
the treatment of plants. The proper temperature for water when applied
to plants, has been frequently discussed by different writers;

some
contend that cool water, just drawn from a well or cistern, should never
be showered upon plants, but that it should first be heated to the
temperature of the room in which the plants are standing. Others, with
equal zeal, claim that cold water will not injure the plants in the
least, contending that the water will assume the right temperature
before injury is done the plant. Now which is right? We have
experimented in this matter to a considerable extent, in order to
satisfy ourselves as to which of these two views is correct. In the
month of December I took from my collection twelve large geraniums and
placed them by themselves in the conservatory; six of these I watered
with cold water, drawn from a hydrant pipe at the temperature of 45 deg.,
and the other six were supplied with water from a barrel standing in the
conservatory, and was of the same temperature of the house, that is from
60 deg. to 80 deg.. The plants watered with the cold water gave little if any
bloom throughout the winter, while the six watered from the barrel grew
finely, and bloomed profusely.
Always water your plants in winter time with lukewarm water, if you
would have a profusion of flowers, and thrifty-growing plants. The water
should be of the same temperature as the room or place where the plants
are. There is no theory about it, it is a practical fact, all talk to
the contrary notwithstanding.